Improvement in spherical targets



S. A. DARRAGH. Spherical-Target;

Patented Ma 28, I878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

SAMUEL A. DABRAGH, 0E NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENTIN SPHERICAL TARGETS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 204,300, dated May 28,1878; application filed May 14, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. DARRAGH, of Newark, in the county of Essexand State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement inSportingv Target-Balls, which improvement is fully set forth in thefollowing specification, reference being bad to.

the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a centralsection of my target-ball. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 isa similar view of the uncovered shell. Similar letters indicatecorresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination, in a sporting target-ball,of an interior shell or body of sheet metal or other tough and rigidmaterial, and a covering of plaster-paris or other fragile material, sothat when the target-ball is thrown in the air and struck by a rifleball or shot the fragile covering splits up into fragments, and therebythe fact that the target-ball has been struck is clearly indicated,while the shell or body remains practically intact, and can be used overand over again and, furthermore, a target-ball is produced which is ofsuperior durability and cheapness.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the shell or body of mytarget-ball, which is, by

preference,made hollow, of sheet metal, but which may be made of anyother tough and rigid material, and which may be round, oval, or in anyother desirable form or shape. This body is covered with a layer, B, ofplaster-paris or any other fragile material, which is applied by castingit round the body A in a suitable mold, or by any other suitable means,and which is, by preference, made thinnest around the middle of theshell or body,

vso as to insure the shedding of the same.

Target-balls as now used are generally made of glass-a material which,when used for this purpose, has several disadvantages. In the firstplace the glass balls are liable to become broken during theirtransportation; then a glass ball, when thrown in the air, is almostsure to break in coming down, and if it is hit by a rifle-ball or shot,it is scattered into a number of fragments, which are dan-' gerous forcattle and horses.

My target-ball, when thrown into the air, is hardly ever injured bydropping to the ground, and when struck by a rifle-ball or shot thefragile covering-layer is scattered into fragments, which do no injuryto any one, while the shell or body remains practically intact, and canbe re-covered by a fragile covering for fresh use.

Furthermore, my targetballs can be packed up and shipped to any distancewithout danger of breaking.

In practice, I have found a sheet-metal shell to be best for the body ofmy target-ball; but a good result is also obtained by making a hollowsphere of wire, which can be dipped into plaster-paris, or otherwisecoated with a fragile covering-layer.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a target-ball, of an interior shell or body ofsheetmetal or other tough and rigid material, and a covering-layer ofplaster-paris or other fragile material, substantially as and for thepurpose shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 10th day of May, 1878.

I S. A. DARRAOH. [L. s.] Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

